app – Tech News

Maka Kids is redefining kids’ screen time with a streaming app optimized for well-being, not engagement

Maka Kids is building a streaming app for children ages zero to six featuring content designed for healthy development. The startup has now raised $3 million in seed funding to scale its platform, and is currently accepting waitlist sign-ups. Unlike traditional streaming platforms, Maka Kids doesn’t have recommendation algorithms, ads, or auto-play. Instead, it is designed to offer a predictable experience that supports learning, creativity, and emotional growth.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/21/maka-kids-is-redefining-kids-screen-time-with-a-streaming-app-optimized-for-well-being-not-engagement/

Instagram tests a new ‘Instants’ app for sharing disappearing photos

Instagram is testing a new image-sharing app called “Instants,” the company confirmed to TechCrunch on Thursday. The app, which is available in Spain and Italy, lets users share disappearing photos with their friends that can be viewed only once and remain available for 24 hours. However, Instagram may be a bit late to capitalize on the trend of low-pressure, unfiltered photo sharing, as BeReal is not as popular as it once was. At the same time, many people already use Instagram Stories, the app’s Snapchat clone, for quick sharing and may not see the need for a separate app to do so. Given these factors, it’ll be interesting to see how Instants plays out.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/23/instagram-tests-a-new-instants-app-for-sharing-disappearing-photos/

FBI Extracts Suspect’s Deleted Signal Messages Saved in iPhone Notification Database

The FBI was able to forensically extract copies of incoming Signal messages from a defendant’s iPhone, even after the app was deleted, because copies of the content were saved in the device’s push notification database, multiple people present for FBI testimony in a recent trial told 404 Media.
https://www.404media.co/fbi-extracts-suspects-deleted-signal-messages-saved-in-iphone-notification-database-2/

Netflix is expanding into kids’ games with a new standalone app

Netflix is launching a new standalone app for kids’ games called Netflix Playground, the company announced on Monday. Netflix Playground is available as part of a Netflix subscription, and doesn’t have any ads or in-app purchases. It can be accessed offline without a mobile or Wi-Fi connection, which the company says makes it the “perfect companion for long airplane rides or grocery trips.”
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/06/netflix-launches-a-standalone-app-for-kids-games/

A new connections app, Sonder, has a deliberately tedious sign-up process (and it’s working)

“With the format of existing dating apps, the intention is lowering the barrier to entry and improving access, allowing for introverts to meet a bunch of people easily,” co-founder Helen Sun told TechCrunch. “Those intentions were really good at the beginning, but based on the way those apps have evolved, I think it’s become a very monotonous thing, and people are suffering from burnout because there’s a loss of authenticity.”
https://techcrunch.com/2026/04/01/a-new-dating-app-sonder-has-a-deliberately-annoying-sign-up-process-and-its-working

OpenAI’s Sora was the creepiest app on your phone – now it’s shutting down

OpenAI announced on Tuesday that it is shutting down Sora, a TikTok-like social app that launched six months ago. OpenAI did not give a reason for the shut down, nor did it share information about when it will officially be discontinued.
https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/24/openais-sora-was-the-creepiest-app-on-your-phone-now-its-shutting-down/

This App Warns You if Someone Is Wearing Smart Glasses Nearby

A new hobbyist developed app warns if people nearby may be wearing smart glasses, such as Meta’s Ray-Ban glasses, which stalkers and harassers have repeatedly used to film people without their knowledge or consent. The app scans for smart glasses’ distinctive Bluetooth signatures and sends a push alert if it detects a potential pair of glasses in the local area.
https://www.404media.co/this-app-warns-you-if-someone-is-wearing-smart-glasses-nearby/